Pinterest is the rare platform where vertical photography dominates. The 2:3 standard pin (1000×1500) gets visibly more feed space than square or landscape and consistently outperforms in saves and click-through.
Idea Pins (Pinterest's stories format) use the same 9:16 portrait as TikTok / Instagram Stories — re-use that content if you're already producing it.
Pinterest doesn't dictate file size hard caps the way YouTube does, but slow-loading pins get penalised in the feed. Keep static pins under 1 MB.
Pinterest sizes — quick reference
Every image type Pinterest renders in its native UI, with the recommended dimensions, aspect ratio and format.
| Image type | Dimensions | Aspect | Format | Max size | Resize |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Standard pin Pins | 1000×1500 | 2:3 | JPG | — | — |
Square pin Pins | 1080×1080 | 1:1 | JPG | — | Open → |
Idea Pin / Video Pin Pins | 1080×1920 | 9:16 | MP4 / JPG cover | — | — |
Board cover Profile & branding | 600×600 | 1:1 | JPG | — | — |
Profile photo Profile & branding | 165×165 | 1:1 | JPG | — | — |
Pins
Standard pin
1000×1500 · 2:3 · JPG
- 2:3 is the most-rewarded ratio in the Pinterest algorithm. Long enough to dominate the feed; not so long it gets truncated.
- Pins taller than 2.1:1 may get cropped in the home feed.
Square pin
1080×1080 · 1:1 · JPG
- Less rewarded than 2:3 portrait but works well for product imagery and recipe collage pins.
Idea Pin / Video Pin
1080×1920 · 9:16 · MP4 / JPG cover
- Same 9:16 portrait as TikTok / Instagram Stories — re-use content if you're already making it for those platforms.
- Cover image (first frame) should have strong focal interest — it's what shows in the board grid.
Profile & branding
Board cover
600×600 · 1:1 · JPG
- Square, displayed at smaller sizes across the profile. Logos and clear visual themes work best.
Profile photo
165×165 · 1:1 · JPG
- Small display size — logos and faces only. Upload at 400×400 for retina rendering.
Pinterest — general tips
- Pinterest gives a measurable boost to pins with descriptive alt text — fill it in for every pin.
- Saturated colours and high contrast outperform muted palettes in the feed.
- Text overlays help discoverability — Pinterest's vision systems read text in images.
- Re-pin your best work to multiple relevant boards over time. There's no penalty.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best Pinterest pin size?
- 1000×1500 (2:3 portrait). This is the ratio Pinterest's feed rewards most — long enough to dominate visual real estate, not so long that it gets cropped or truncated.
- Why do my Pinterest pins look stretched?
- Almost certainly because your source is a square or landscape image being uploaded as a pin. Crop or resize to 2:3 portrait before uploading — the resize tools linked below do this in one click.
- What's an Idea Pin?
- Pinterest's stories-equivalent format — multi-page vertical video and image carousels. Uses 9:16 (1080×1920) dimensions. Re-use TikTok or Instagram Story content if you have it.
- Are tall pins penalised?
- Yes if they exceed 2.1:1 — Pinterest crops or truncates very tall pins in the home feed. 2:3 (1.5:1) is the sweet spot.
- Does Pinterest support alt text?
- Yes — and uses it both for accessibility and discoverability. Pins with descriptive alt text consistently get more impressions.